Things have officially turned sour for a unit in the NFL when the coordinator — unsolicited — starts talking to the media about what a fine job the team’s OTHER unit did.

That’s what just happened here on Coordinator Thursday, when Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning heaped praise on Mike Nolan’s defense for its six-point performance against the Jets on Sunday.

“I must say this,” Henning said. “Our defense played about as good a defensive game as you can play, under the conditions of the offense not being able to move it very well. As the game wore on, to be able to come up time and time again with stops was a superb defensive performance.”

Henning’s offense? Not so much.

While the Dolphins’ D is No. 5 in the league’s overall rankings, the offense has slipped to 22 and is trending badly. In scoring defense, the Dolphins rank eighth, while the offense is second-worst in scoring, bettering only the Panthers.

“We can’t continue to exist with as little a passing game as we had last week,” Henning said after a 30-yard net passing performance for the Dolphins. “We have to do better than that.”

Those 30 net yards — 55 through the air, minus the 25 lost on five sacks — came just 8 yards shy of matching the Dolphins’ franchise low of 22, set in November 1969 against the Oilers.

Henning was a second-year offensive assistant at Florida State, his first job above the high school level, which should give you some indication how long ago that was.

Which brings us to Chad Henne.

This was the first time I can remember Henning being so openly critical of his young quarterback. You could sense the frustration in his voice — which matched that of Tony Sparano earlier in the week — as he discussed the mistakes the third-year pro (and second-year starter) made in his fourth career crack at Rex Ryan’s complex defense.

“We work on the protections,” Henning said. “We had a gaffe in the protection where [Henne] got hit. Really, that was his fault and he knows it. He’s got to set the protection the other way.”

This was the second and 5 play from the Dolphins’ 42 midway through the second quarter when Henne got crushed from behind by Calvin Pace and Sione Pouha recovered to set up the Jets’ first field goal.

“We think we had a pretty good pass there,” Henning said. “Brandon [Marshall] won on the left side and [Henne] was about to throw it when he got hit. Well, that turns out not to only be not a big play for you but to go the other way. You know what I mean?

“And then we come out and the ball was slippery on that naked bootleg [from the Jets' 17 in the third quarter] and the ball came out of his hand and we lost it there. We had [Anthony] Fasano open on that.”

Instead of going up 13-3 or even 17-3 on a miserable afternoon, Henne lost a fumble and broke one of the basic tenets of Tony Sparano Football: The Red Zone Rules.

“Those things would have gotten us started, so to speak,” Henning said. “You can’t allow those things to happen. Those are not only bad plays but they’re turnovers in the other direction. They go from having a possible good play to having completely the opposite. In a game as tight as it was the other day, it was critical.”

So what happened on that second Henne fumble? He never even made it to Ricky Williams’ hip before the ball squirted out and forced the Dolphins’ defense to come up big SIX more times.

I mentioned that Henne typically uses two hands on his play-fakes and wondered how much time he spends on the ball-handling aspect of his game.

“We’re talking about one time since he’s been here that’s happened,” Henning said. “He spends a lot of time on it. We have certain plays that are two-hand fakes and certain ones that are one-hand fakes. That’s the first time it’s ever happened to him. You can say, ‘Well, the ball was wet,’ and all that. It’s not supposed to happen.

“If you feel like you don’t have control of the football, then you ought to use a two-hand fake even if it was called for a one-hand fake. Those are judgments that guys make that they have to live with when the results happen the way they happen. I don’t know that it hit anybody. I think it just slipped out of his hand when he went to extend it.”

With that, Henning shrugged.

What else can a legendary playcaller do?

Check back in a bit and we’ll have video of both Henning and Nolan for you.

Until then, what do you make of Henning’s explanations of Henne’s struggles this week?

There are some quality linemen here to start with they just gotta get healthy and put in the right spots. Remember we expect a change in philosophy and a move into “Today’s” NFL. Where passing gets it done. Think what having Marshall and Jones would be like. And the squirrely Bess.

No Rob, never went there, We would go to the Button south on Hallandale Blvd. Dont forget, youve got a couple years on me so it wasnt till about ‘82 till we could get into those places, Good thing drinking age was still 19 back when we where youngsters.

no banana boat was on 441 and sheridan street! that place rocked in the early 80s, use to be a bar off 826 okeechobee rd in the late 70s early 80s called “THE OTHER PLACE” that was a great bar! it was when miami was a good place to be!!!

Machete from what I’ve seen so far in looking at the draft is that there is quite a bit of quality on Defense early between Dline and a lot of Corners.
Luck and Mallett and likely Newton will all be gone so we should be able to get one of the highest rated offensive players in the draft when we pick. Jones, AJ Green, Broyles, Ingram or one of many linemen. We should end up with a nice starter for our O no matter what position we go with.

The draft is supposed to go on even without the new CBA… they just won’t sign contracts or report until a CBA is made… and if it happened to take THE ENTIRE season… the original draft results would be voided and they’d all be entered into the next draft.

Nope didnt go there, we spent most of our time at Ft. Lauderdale strip and Button south on the way home. Around ‘86 ‘87 we started hanging out at Hollywood Beach on Fri. and Sat. nights Beach House was the place to go.
Funny; we lived in Dade but all the good places where up in Broward so thats where we spent most of our time…

I’m thinking Nolan will gets locked up for at least another year or two here, unless a very lucrative and preferred HC job opens up in the offseason. With fistpumper and another .500 season, Nolan certainly gets an opportunity here.

Hello guys…..in reading the article above it appears to me that our HC and OC are feeling the heat and now are blaming Henne for all the offense’s woes. The entire offense and coaches are responsible for the offense playing so poorly – IMO.

Subpar or hovering around 500. would have been more accurate. Tim, I believe expectations (warranted or not) are going to be even higher next year and the heat will get dailed up a notch if no playoff appearance this year or next. However, the players seem to love playing for Sparano and the bifecta has certainly hit on this past year’s draft. I really do like the direction this organization is headed. The Patriots have set the bar and perceptions extremely high.

Supposedly we were a run-oriented offense. However, as soon as we get behind in a game they throw that out the window and get pass-happy. Then there was the Bears debacle — the coaches should be ashamed for calling such a horrible game. This team was built to run, yet we have barely seen that this year.

All you need to know about Dan Henning and this was the last straw for me, was the Bears game. Down 3-0 1st qtr, 6-0 2nd qtr, 9-0 3rd qtr, and finally 16-0.

13-39 rushing. Really? The running game abandoned us?

You have a 3rd string QB in there, your franchise LT with a shoulder injury, and your starting C out on a short week, then your backup C goes down with a season ending knee injury in the 1st qtr, a constant rotation at RG, and you don’t run the ball? You fool!!!! You’re asking to much of a make-shift OL to pass protect.

I’m done, please call it a career. You were good in your day and later in age you have become a gambler. It doesn’t fit with the way this team is built.

For the record, Parcells brought in Mike Maser who he thought was the best OL coach he’s ever been around. Sparano fired him after the 08 season. He fired PP as DC after the 09 season, and the STs coach in-season this year.

Just got home. So what’s the new thang here, we DON’T want a new Center? I still do man, I think we could use better Center. I guess LG could be more of a priority, because Berger is not bad, but I would like a stud C, like Wisniewski.

You are on crack. I wish I could have some of your smoke.
**
04 4-12
05 9-7
06 6-10
07 1-15
08 11-5
09 7-9
10 7-6
We’re in better hands now than we were 7 years ago. Patience!
**
That’s an average of 6 wins a season. We’ve been the screwed pooch for so long that people around the country laugh at Miami fans. We get no respect because we’re like the AFC Lions.

Parcells made a bunch of money & that’s all we get. There have been plenty of F/O’s to draft some Defense & get noticed. That’s not gonna be enough to beat Belicheck. Sparano will never beat Belicheck again. The Wildcat/Single-wing was amusing to the Sith Lord but that’s all we get.

A guy like Wisniewski, yes! Berger is a good pass blocker, but he’s not a good run blocker. He can be overpowered. I want a guy like Nick Mangold baby! Is that too much too ask? He beat out Grove because Grove was hurt man, a healthy Grove would be starting . Are you so impressed with berger, or do you just feel that a rookie can’t start at C in the NFL?

I think it would take a hell of a rookie Center to beat out a Vet. It can be done of course, especially in this situation, and the competition would be great. But, is this the weakest link needing the highest draft pick?

Jerry, or Garner can play RT, if you want to lose Carey. We need a pulling guard, and an upgrade at C, but I’m OK if we pass on C, because Berger is serviceable, just not dominant. We do need better depth at T no matter what, so we can draft a RT, and let him compete. Not 1st pick though, IMO.

Jake Long at LT is as good as a draft pick you can make. Just because we screwed around at QB while Long got old enough to get injuries doesn’t make Tackle a bad pick in the 1st round.

Now, if we get a rookie salary cap, I guess the Linemen will all go later in the draft. But for now, “value” at the multi-million $ draft spots is in snap counts played, so you never see more than 1 TE or the best WR’s taken.

I will say that I’d like to have a 1st round RB talent again. But, if we can’t have that, I’d like to have Jake’s bookend or I guess the offensive BPA.

I think better scouting would get us a pulling Guard or good TE in the 4th or 5th.

Ok, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying Berger is anything to write home about. I’m just not sure he’s the weakest link. Plus, you have to draft a great Center who can start, who will un-seat Berger. If you can do that with a 3rd or 4th rounder, then I’ll shut up.

You’re definitely not being unrealistic here, I hear you. What’s your plan for Vernon Carey? Cut him? John Jerry? Jerry did play tackle for 2 years, Junior and Senior, so he should be in the mix, and he’s got the right size for T as well.

Just got home. So what’s the new thang here, we DON’T want a new Center? I still do man, I think we could use better Center. I guess LG could be more of a priority, because Berger is not bad, but I would like a stud C, like Wisniewski.

I gotcha bro, I just think a great C is more valuable than a pulling guard. Justin Smiley was a very good pulling G, but not really considered one of the best G’s in the game. I think you can get a very good guard in the 3rd or 4th rounds, but not a great C. JMO.

Tim, I have to agree with you on the Guard issue. There is a decent chance that we’ll have Garner, Jerry, Incog, or even McQuistan at Guard. I think having these 4 ahead of time in camp will allow us to avoid drafting an OL wholesale.

The OL you draft has to already be better than all of these guys…and I know some guys in the draft fit that bill (or would in six mos. of training) but will those picks fall to us in the 1st or 3rd?

Mike, I think Jerry needs a serious weightroom & nutrition off-season or he won’t be a starter. He’s good enough but will he get ready?

It’s easier to criticize RB’s than any other position. But, too often a guy who is less than a starter from a big school isn’t ready to pass protect & so he cannot start. That will not replace the guy we’re likely to lose (Ronnie Brown). The Steelers probably could’ve started their RB sooner though.

Jerry was hurt because he missed so much time with that illness in the beginning of the season. He wasn’t working out, or practicing for like 4 weeks. It’s like a holdout season for him. I think he can be a good player, he needs to hit the weights hard, and reshape his body.

OMAR KELLY was unsuccessful at achieving his childhood dream to become a super hero, so he figured he'd do the next best thing and become a journalist who fights against injustice, and searches for truth. After being bored to death reporting news and covering politics, he switched to sports.
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IZZY GOULD joined the Sun Sentinel in Feb. 2012 as a Senior Sports Reporter on the Miami Dolphins beat. He came to South Florida fresh off covering the University of Alabama football program, including its 2011 national championship team. More